System for optimal vibration isolation of disk drives in a data storage device
View Patent ↗A system for dampening vibrations of a plurality of disk drives in such a way that the packaging density of disk drives is optimized. This is achieved by attaching a device for dampening vibrations to a population set of disk drives. The population set of disk drives comprises a plurality of disk drives. The device for dampening vibrations comprises at least one rail assembly. A plurality of isolators is attached to the rail assembly. The isolators are composed of materials that attenuate vibration. The isolators dampen the vibrations of the population set and isolate the population set from external vibrations and shock.
1. A system suitable for dampening vibrations in a population set, the population set comprising a plurality of disk drives, the system comprising
a rail assembly for absorbing vibrations, wherein the rail assembly is coupled to the population set at a point of attachment, wherein the rail assembly is elongated in a first direction;
a rack for supporting at least one rail assembly;
a bracket for coupling between the rail assembly and the rack;
a first isolator coupled between the rail assembly and the bracket substantially near the point of attachment, wherein the first isolator dampens vibrations in a second direction normal to the first direction; and
a second isolator coupled between the rack and the bracket, wherein the second isolator dampens vibrations in a third direction normal to both the first and second directions, wherein two rail assemblies are attached on opposite faces of the population set.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the isolators are made up of different materials.
3. A system suitable for isolating vibrations in a data storage device, the data storage device comprising at least one population set mounted on a rack, the population set comprising a plurality of disk drives, the system comprising:
a rail assembly for absorbing vibrations, wherein the rail assembly is coupled to the population set at a point of attachment, wherein the rail assembly is elongated in a first direction;
a bracket for coupling between the rail assembly and the rack;
a first isolator coupled between the rail assembly and the bracket substantially near the point of attachment, wherein the first isolator dampens vibrations in a second direction normal to the first direction; and
a second isolator coupled between the rack and the bracket, wherein the second isolator dampens vibrations in a third direction normal to both the first and second directions, wherein the isolators are positioned such that the population set of disk drives is vibrationally isolated from the rail assembly at the point of attachment of the rail assembly to the population set.
4. A method for isolating vibrations in a data storage device, the data storage device comprising a rack and at least one population set coupled to a rail assembly, each population set comprising a plurality of disk drives, the method comprising the steps of:
attaching the rail assembly to the population set of disk drives at a point of attachment, wherein the rail assembly is elongated in a first direction;
attaching a first isolator coupled between the rail assembly and a bracket substantially near the point of attachment, wherein the first isolator dampens vibrations in a second direction normal to the first direction;
attaching a second isolator coupled between the rack and the bracket wherein the second isolator dampens vibrations in a third direction normal to both the first and second directions; and
attaching two rail assemblies on opposite faces of the population set to allow a maximum number of population sets to be stored in the data storage device.